In the Words of Bernie Mac...

Bust them in the head until the white meat shows.  Those were the funny words of comedian Bernie Mac talking about what parents should do to kids.  He must have had my kid in mine when he said that.   As the parent of a 18 year old, I think of his humorous advice often and bust out laughing.  Sometimes to keep from screaming, but definitely laughing.  Now that I am a 50+ parent, I find that I am at loss of words when dealing with my kid.  Well, not really at a loss of words, more like a loss of polite words.  Most times she just makes me want to scream.  Or as Marvin Gaye said, she "make me want to holler and throw up both my hands".  I remember when she was just 2 or 3 years old, my mother looked at her and said, "That's the one. The other two (My oldest daughter and son) did not give you any problems, but this one is going to be the one" .  Boy did my mother ever tell the truth or now that I think about it, she might have jinxed me as well.   This kid definitely is keeping me on my toes.  Problem is my toes at 50+ are not what they used to be.  Over the last year or so, I seem to be really feeling my age.  You know I keep hearing that 50 is supposed to be the new 40 - Yeah right.  Tell my bad knees and my poor eye sight that!  Anyway, I haven't busted my kid in the  head yet, probably because I can't reach that high anymore.

Friends Forever

Have you noticed that the older you get, the harder it is to make friends.  Oh, you have lots of acquaintances that weave in and out of your life.  But chances are, the friends you've had since you were a kid or a teenager, are the ones you call your friends today.
My best friend is Lynette.  I have known her since we were young and hot and you couldn't tell us a thing! I spent the day with her recently and we reminisced about some of the crazy things we used to do.  We are both a lot calmer (I guess that's cause we're older) these days, but we still get into some mischief every now and then.
    Over the years Lynette has lived in different cities other than Detroit.  At times, we may have only seen each other once or twice a year.  Sometimes, not even that.  She is the type of friend that you don't  have to hold her hand and babysit.  You know how some friends have a fit if you don't call them everyday.  But Lynette is not like that and neither am I. When we do finally talk, it's like it was yesterday and we just pick up right where we left off.
    Another reason Lynette and I have been friends for almost 30 years, is that we genuinely like each other.  You know how you hear "so-called girlfriends" talk about each other behind their backs and refer to their "friend" as that bitch under their breath. That's because they really don't like each other, but that's not me and Lynette.  Our criticisms are non-existent and we just accept each other as we are. Friendship with Lynette is easy. She'snot just my friend, she's my sister. Bottom line - I love Lynette and our friendship!
    Have you told your best friend how much they mean to you.  If not, do it today.  Their friendship is precious and can last forever!

My Legacy

Since the death of Michael Jackson (I was a big fan), I've been thinking about my legacy.  What will I leave to the world when I die.  For Michael, it will be his legacy as the "King of Pop".  He will live on through his music. I, on the other hand have no Thriller or Billie Jean to exemplify my genius.  No one will ever no my name except for my family, and they often forget that except for when they want something.  So what will I leave to the world once I'm gone.  For me I hope that it will be the kindness and love that I have shown other people. Don't get me wrong, I'm no Mother Teresa, but I try to be just a little friendlier, a little kinder to people I meet throughout my life.  It takes so little to smile or just say hello.   If someone feels just a little better because of a small act of kindness, the world is just a little bit better.
I believe that kindness and love live on in the people we have touched.  It's sort of like the  "pay it forward" concept.  One act of kindness  begets another act of kindness.  I may not die famous and my name on everyone's lips, but I know that I have touched other people in a meaningful way and hopefully you will as well.  So here's to kindness and love - Let them live on forever!

Going Green Starts With You

Everybody is aware of the Going Green movement. We've all made small efforts like changing out our light bulbs and maybe even doing some recycling. But Going Green is also about using less chemicals. The less chemicals in our environment, the healthier and safer we will all be.

Often when we think of chemicals, we think of the heavy duty, industrial-strength stuff with names we can't pronounce. But that's not the entire picture. Chemicals are in our personal care products as well. Recently, parabens that are used as preservatives in food, cosmetic and pharmaceuticals have been linked to breast cancer. Measurable amounts have been found in the breast tissue from biopsies. http://www.breastcancerfund.org/clear-science/chemicals-glossary/parabens.html. What does this tell us?

The Story of Cosmetics http://storyofstuff.org/cosmetics/ tells us the story that most of us have never heard before or even thought about. We are exposing our bodies to countless chemicals everyday. Before most of us have even left the house each morning, we have already exposed our bodies to over 120 chemicals!

It's time for us to start making better choices...time to start living Green in what we put on our bodies as well. Can you imaging driving a environmentally friendly car, eating organic food and then using chemical-laden personal care items? Doesn't make sense, does it? Going Green starts with you...in your body and on your body!

Time For Renewal

It's the first of March and we're starting to get little hints that Spring is on its way. The days are filled with more sunshine and daylight is hanging around a little longer. Here in Michigan we have even had a couple of 50 degree days. Since Spring is the time of renewal, it was time for me to take stock of myself and what renewal processes I needed. The long, hard winter had lulled me into some really bad habits.


My renewal process is starting with losing some weight I gained over the winter...not a lot, but just enough to make my clothes uncomfortable. I had turned into a baking fiend! It seems being inside all winter brought out the Betty Crocker in me. I took out my Kitchen-Aid mixer from the corner in the kitchen where it was gathering dust and began making cookies and pound cake from scratch. With its high butter and sugar content, it's not called pound cake for nothing!

The second step in my renewal process is to work on my skin! Being indoors so much with the furnace running 24/7, has played havoc with my skin. It is sooooo dry!  Now I feel like a butterfly struggling to come out of its cocoon. The skin that I get so many compliments on is under there somewhere, I just have to step up my beauty regime to get to it. One of the beauty products that I have begun to use is Serious Skin Care's Vitamin C cleanser.


The third and final step in my renewing process is to renew my mind. It's a know fact that depression sets in for many people during the winter months. Now don't get it twisted, I'm not depressed in the clinical sense, but  I know that renewing my mind helps to renew the rest of me. Positive affirmations, spending time in the Word and being with positive people all help to renew the person. Hmm, this step may need to be first :). Anyway, one thing's for sure, when Spring does finally roll in, I want to be able to say, once again, Hello New You!

Find Something You Like

When it comes to losing weight, we all face the same battles:  what to eat and what kind of exercise to do. After going down this road countless times before, I knew I wanted my exercise routine to be different. I knew that I was going to have to spice it up so I wouldn't get bored. After all, they say the definition to insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

First off, I knew that I couldn't just rely on the old stand-by treadmill. Don't get me wrong, I have had great results walking the treadmill, but mine faces a blank wall in the basement and that gets real old, real fast. So early Spring 2009 I purchased a Wii console for the family which included Wii Fit. At first I used the Wii Fit game and did step aerobics, yoga, and hula hoop. It was fun and I was working up a sweat, but after a couple of weeks I needed more of a challenge. So I started investigating what else was out there for the Wii. That's when I discovered  EA Sports Active.  The game, which ain't no game, comes with the Wii DVD, strength training band, and a leg holster to hold the Wii nunchuck.

EA Sports Active has different variations of workouts that included 20 minute, 30 minute and 45 minute upper, lower, and full-body workouts. What gave me the most results was a feature called the 30-Day Challenge. Each day's workout included running, boxing, squats, lunges, and different strength training exercises like bicep curls, shoulder press, etc. What keeps the game fresh is that no two days are alike. It was fun and it was challenging. By the end of each session I would be dripping in sweat.

I started my weight-loss journey in December 2009. By May 2010 I had dropped 40 pounds. What I came to realize is  EA Sports Active had tricked my body into losing more weight than I normally would have. It was very similar to the concept of the famous P90X philosophy of muscle confusion. I also added in other exercises as well . I jumped rope, I bought a weighted hula hoop, and I started riding my bike again. They were all things I enjoyed doing. So I'm saying all this to say, when it comes to exercise, find something that you like. Next in my exercise arsenal is Zumba. I heard that's really a lot of fun!

Hello New You

   A couple of years ago I started having gout attacks. At the time I wasn't even sure what gout was. I can remember as a kid hearing somebody say their grandmother was down with the gout. I was young and I thought it was just some old-folks disease, so I didn't worry about it. Later I'd  learn that gout is a form of arthritis. It's basically the body's inability to rid itself of uric acid. Either your body makes too much or your body can't rid itself of what it produces. The uric acid builds up and forms microscopic crystals which cause unbearable pain.

   Fast forward to the year 2009. I am having yet another painful gout attack and I'm on my way to the doctor. Now my doctor's office is in a building that has these black reflective panels. As I'm walking towards the building, I see this old lady limping with a cane. I'm like, "Wow, that lady looks familiar". Imagine my horror, shock, and surprise when I realize that's no old lady, that's me!

I went in the building, saw my doctor and got the same old same old. Basically there was not a whole lot they could do. She could write me a stronger  prescription for Vicodin and I would have to just wait out the attack. It was then and there I decided to take back my health! I said "no thank you" to the drugs, went home and began to change my life! I started to research natural cures for gout and started to alkalize my body with Earth Greens, drink cherry juice, and take supplements. I also began to diet and exercise. With the help of Weight Watchers, over the next few months I lost 40 pounds.

   Now fast forward again to the year 2010 and I walk past a mirror, catching a glimpse of myself. Once again I didn't recognize my reflection as being me. I went back to the mirror, looked myself in the eyes and said "hello Carla". I cannot tell you the joy I felt in that moment! I was literally made over, new health and new body. From that point on, I have a burning desire to help other people find new health and new wealth.  You've heard it before, but I'll say it again, if I can do it, you can do it too! There's a new you waiting to be born, a Hello New You!